Veneer lathe



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(Ska VER f/Va; WV'UX VENEER LATHE Grover F. Molyneux, Painesville, Ohio, assignor to The Coe Manufacturing Company, Painesvilie, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 1, 1954, Serial No. 472,283

2 Claims. (Cl. 144-209) The present invention relates to veneer lathes and, more particularly, to back-roll type veneer lathes.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved back roll type veneer lathe having a back roll automatically movable toward and from the work or log in timed relation with the movement of the knife and means for supporting and so moving the back roll comprising power means for selectively moving the back roll in a direction away from the work and returning it to operating position without changing or disturbing the position or movement of the knife.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved back roll type veneer lathe having a back roll rotatably supported in a carrier and automatically movable toward and from the work or log in timed relation to the movement of the knife in com bination with power actuated means for selectively moving the back roll relative to the carrier in a direction away from the work and returning it to its original position in the carrier.

The invention resides in certain constructions and combinations and arrangements of parts and further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates from the following description of the preferred embodiment described with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a veneer lathe embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the log side of the veneer lathe shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The invention is herein illustrated and described as embodied in a more or less conventional, back roll type veneer lathe and only those parts of the lathe which are necessary to a complete understanding of the invention are herein shown and described in detail. The parts of the lathe not shown and described in detail, per se, form no part of the present invention and are known commercially in the art.

Referring to the drawings, the veneer lathe shown comprises a frame, designated generally by the reference character A, including a rectangular base 10 provided with upstanding end housings 11, 12 rotatably supporting axially aligned spindles 13, 14 having chucks or dogs 15, 16 fixedly secured to their adjacent ends and between which a log L to be cut is supported. The spindles 13, 14 are adapted to be moved lengthwise or axially to engage and disengage the chucks 15, 16 carried thereby with opposite ends of the log L in a manner well understood in the art; for example, in a manner similar to that in which the spindles in Haumann United States Patent No. 2,501,387 are moved.

During operation of the lathe, the spindles and, in turn, the log are rotated by power means, in the present int6 tes Patent stance an electric motor 20 connected thereto by a drive mcluding a clutch 21, brake 22, a shaft 23 extending lengthwise and rotatably supported in the base 10, which shaft is, in turn, connected to the spindles 13, 14 by flexible drives, designated generally as 24, 25.

Veneer is produced in a veneer lathe of the type illustrated by cutting a thin layer of material from a log rotated against a knife continuously fed towards the axis of rotation of, or into, the log in such a manner that a layer of uniform thickness is cut or peeled from the log. In the lathe shown, the log L is rotated against a knife 26 carried by a knife bar 27 which, if desired, may include a pressure plate 28. The knife bar extends from one side housing of the frame to the other and is slidably supported on suitable ways 30, 31 on adjacent sides of the side housings 11, 12, respectively, and is moved toward the axis of rotation of the log L by generally horizontally positioned lead screws 32, 33 extending transversely of the frame A adjacent the inner sides of the side housings 11, 12, respectively. The lead screws 32, 33 are rotatably supported in the frame A against axial movement in relation thereto and are provided with threads 34, 35 adjacent to their respective veneer or knife side ends which engage suitable nut members in the adjoining ends of the knife bar 27. The ends of the lead screws 32, 33 projecting to the knife side of the lathe are supported in suitable bearing brackets 36, 37 and provided with bevel gears 38, 39 fixed thereto and continuously in mesh with pinions 40, 41, respectively, fixed to a longitudinally extending shaft 42 adapted to be selectively connected by a jaw-type clutch 43 and a gear train 44 to the shaft 14 to which the spindle drives 24, 25 are connected.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the clutch 43 is engaged, the knife bar 27 will be moved towards the axis of rotation of the spindles and, in turn, the knife 26 fed into the log L upon rotation of the log by the motor 20 and the interconnecting drive. The amount of feed per revolution of the log can be readily changed as desired by changing the gears of the gear drive 44 to gears of a different desired ratio. A reversible motor 45 is provided along with suitable controls for rapid traversing the knife bar to and from the log as desired. As shown, the motor 45 is supported on a bracket 46 fixed to the end housing 12 and is connected to the left-hand end of the shaft 42 as viewed in Fig. 1.

The veneer lathe thus far described is of conventional construction and per se forms no part of the present invention.

As previously stated, the present invention relates to a back roll veneer lathe and the lathe shown comprises a back roll 50 located at the log side of the lathe, that is, at the side opposite the knife. The back roll 50 is supported, in a manner hereinafter more specifically described, in a back roll carrier or frame 51 extending between the end housings 11, 12 and having its respective ends slidably supported on the log side ends of the ways 30, 31 which, in the lathe shown, extend from the knife side of the lathe past the spindles 13, 14 and to a position beyond the frame proper at the log or back roll side of the lathe. The lead screws 32, 33 in the present embodiment are substantially coextensive in length with the ways 30, 31 and, like the ways 30, 31, project to the log side of the lathe beyond the spindles 13, 14. The respective ends of the back roll carrier 51 are connected to the lead screws 32, 33 for movement towards the log L in predetermined timed relation to the movement of the adjacent end of the knife bar 27 by threads 52, 53 on the log side ends of the lead screws 32, 33 respectively, but of an opposite hand from the threads, 34,

35 on the corresponding lead screws and at the knife side ends of the screws. The log side ends of the lead screws 32, 33 are rotatably supported against axial movement in suitable bearing brackets 54, 55 fixed on the ends of the ways 30, 31.

The back roll 59 shown is of conventional construction and provided with journals 60, 61 at opposite ends by which it is rotatably supported in bearing blocks 62 slidably supported between pairs of vertically spaced, horizontally extending ways 64, 65 at opposite ends of the back roll carrier 51. As shown, the bearing blocks 62 are positioned between the bottom ways 64 upon which they rest and top Ways 65., and are adapted to be moved or reciprocated towards and from the axis of rotation of the spindles by reciprocating, double-acting, fluid pressure motors '70, 71 respectively. The motors '70, 71 are of the piston-cylinder type and have their respective piston rod elements 72 connected to the bearing blocks 62 and their respective cylinder elements 74 connected to plates fixed to the ends of screws 80, 81 adjustably connected to upwardly extending bosses 82, 83 on the adjacent ends of the back roll carrier 51 by nut elements 84, 85. The construction is such that the bearing blocks 62 and, in turn, opposite ends of the back roll 50 can be independently adjusted relative to the back roll carrier or frame 51 towards and from the axis of the spindles 13, 14, for example, in setting up the lathe.

The motors 7t), 71 are adapted to be selectively operated simultaneously to withdraw the back roll 50 from and/ or to return it to its operating position in the back roll carriage by a manually operable valve 90 positioned at a convenient location on the lathe. As shown, the valve 9%) is located on the knife or veneer side of the end housing 11. The valve 90 is connected to a suitable source of fluid pressure in the form of a motor driven pump 91 and to the motors 70, 71 in a conventional manner as by conduits, designated by the reference character 92.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the objects heretofore enumerated and others have been accomplished and that there has been provided a back roll type veneer lathe in which the back roll can be selectively moved relative to its carriage into and out of operating position by power means located at the control station for the lathe. The advantages of this construction will be well understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail, the invention is not limited to the particular construction shown and it is the intention to cover hereby all adaptations, modifications V supporting said knife bar for movement transversely of the axis of rotation of said spindles, means for moving said knife bar toward the axis of rotation of said spindles in predetermined timed relation to the rotation of said spindles, a back roll carrier, means for supporting said back roll carrier at the opposite side of the axis of rotation of said spindles from said knife bar for movement transversely of the axis of rotation of said spindles, means for moving said carrier toward the axis of rotation of said spindles in timed relation to the rotation of said spindles, a back roll, means for rotatably supporting said back roll in said carrier for movement relative to said carrier toward and from the axis of rotation of said spindles, and power actuated means for moving said back roll relative to said carrier in a direction away from the axis of rotation of said spindles and for returning it to a predetermined position in said carrier.

2. In a veneer lathe, a frame, axially aligned work supporting spindles rotatably supported in said frame, means for rotating said spindles, a knife bar, means for supporting said knife bar for movement toward and from the axis of rotation of said spindles, means for moving said knife bar toward the axis of rotation of said spindles in predetermined timed relation to the rotation of said spindles, a back roll carrier, means for supporting said back roll carrier at the opposite side of the axis of rotation of said spindles from said knife bar for movement toward and from the axis of rotation of said spindles, means for moving said carrier toward the axis of rotation of said spindles in timed relation to the rotation of said spindles, a back roll, means for rotatably supporting said back roll in said carrier for movement relative to said carrier toward and from the axis of rotation of said spindles, and fluid pressure actuated means for moving said back roll relative to said carrier in a direction away from the axis of rotation of, said spindles and for returning it to apredetermined position in said carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jackson Feb. 1, 1944 

